Fountain brush



Sept.13, 1938. A. w. BEAURLINE FOUNTAIN BRUS H Filed Dec. 51, 1936 Patented Sept. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE 6 Claims.

My invention relates to fountain brushes and it has special reference to brushes that are employed for washing automobiles and other vehicles.

My improvements contemplate a brush structure comprising a. hollow body of suitable outline and preferably formed of separable parts that are united by a common means. Alsoin this connection I have provided novel means for sealing the meeting portions of adjacent parts of the body, and I have also provided bumper or cushioning means that prevent the brush body contacting the vehicle or surface being washed. The gasket o-r sealing means and the cushion or bumper are a unitary integral structure so that when the parts of the body are assembled the cushion and the gasket will be disposed in desired positions without additional labor or adjustment. This combined gasket and cushion is preferably molded from rubber, rubber composition or other comparatively soft pliable material.

The brush structure which I have invented preferably embodies a perforated plate in which the brush bristles are secured, which plate is provided with outlet apertures for the discharge and the distribution of fluid from within the body, and there is a. dome-shaped top co-acting with the bristle plate to provide a chamber within the body. The gasket member is compressed between the plate and top in a position to dispose the bumper peripherally around the outer edges of these parts. Fluid is supplied'to the interior of the hollow body by means of a tubular handle connected with a source of water supply.

The assembly of the parts is such that they are readily separable so that the brush member and gasket may be renewed whenever desired.

In devising my improvements I have numerous objects in mind among which may be mentioned that I have produced an article of this character that is novel in construction; is dependable in performing the functions for which it is designed; is made of sturdy parts to withstand hard usage; is made of few parts which require but a single operation to assemble; and is economical to manufacture so that it may be sold at a resonable retail price to the user. Other objects and advantages of my improvements will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after the construction and operation of the device is understood from the following disclosure.

I prefer to practice my invention, and to accomplish the objects thereof, in substantially the manner hereinafter fully described and as more particularly pointed out in the claims. Reference is made to the accompanying drawing that forms a part of this specification.

In the drawing:--

Figure l is a view partly in side or edge elevation and partly in vertical section showing details of my improved fountain brush.

Figure 2 is a perspective, partly broken away in section, of the unitary gasket and cushion or bumper.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan of the perforated plate, with the bristles removed.

The drawing is to be understood as being more or less schematic for the purpose of disclosing a typical or preferred form in which my invention may be made, and in the drawing like reference characters identify the same parts wherever said parts appear in the different views.

The body of the brush comprises a bristle plate 5 and a top member 6 that are maintained in desired relation to each other by common means that urges these parts towards each other. The plate 5 as well as the top member 6 may be of any suitable outline, such as circular, oval, triangular, or rectangular, and said plate is provided with a plurality of seats I in which the bundles of bristles 8 are secured in any suitable manner sothat they project from the outer face of the plate. 5. The said plate is also provided with a plurality of outlet openings or passages 9 that permit fluid to pass through the plate from one side to the other.

The top member 6 embodies a central domeshaped portion Ill that arches upwardly to provide, with plate 5, an internal chamber H, and at the center of the dome-shaped portion there is a hollow stub that depends centrally therefrom. This stub I2 is interiorly threaded to receive the threaded shank 13 of a bolt that passes through a central aperture l4 in the bristle plate 5 so as to provide common means for drawing the two parts together Beyond the edge of the upwardly extended dome-shaped portion the top member 6 is provided with an annular rim l5 that is preferably flat and is disposed in parallel relation to and opposing the marginal portion of the bristle plate 5.

A suitable gasket, shown in detail in Fig. 2, is interposed between the rim 15 of the top member and the opposing marginal portion of the bristle plate 5. This gasket is preferably in the form of a ring-like flange iii of slightly greater width than the rim l5 of the top member, as seen in Fig. 1. The lower face of the gasket I5 is preferably a plain surface, while the upper face is somewhat channel-shaped in cross section. This channel formation is accomplished by providing a small upstanding bead I! at the inner edge of the flange 16 that is of sufiicient height to extend upwardly into the lower portion of the dome-shaped part of the top member at the inner edge of the rim IS. The outer portion of the gasket I6 is preferably connected to the inner annular face of a substantially vertical disposed buffer or cushion IS. The gasket flange I6 is preferably molded integral with a buffer or a cushion l8 and extends from the inner face thereof intermediate and spaced from the edges of the buffer. As will be seen in Fig. l, the vertical dimension of buffer I 8 is slightly greater than the combined dimensions of, the plate 5, the gasket [8 and the rim I5, so that the upper and lower edges of the buffer extend respectively above and below the rim and the plate a distance to prevent the metal parts contacting the surface being washed and marring the finish thereon.

From theforegoing it will be seen the structure comprising the bristle plate 5, the gasket and buffer, and the top member 6 are superposed upon each other and are secured together by common means in the form of a bolt l3 and when the parts are being assembled, the one upon the other in the manner shown, the turning of the bolt will cause the gasket to be compressed between the margin of the plate 5 and the annular rim [5 of the top member. This also securely anchors the buffer and cushion in a position outside the edges of the plate and top member where it is in position to be engaged with the surface of the vehicle being washed, thus avoiding contact of the edge portions of the brush structure with the finished surface of the vehicle. Water is supplied to the interior chamber I I through a tubular handle [9 that has its lower end screwed into an enlargement 2!] that is bored and threaded to receive said handle. It will be understood that with the construction herein disclosed the brush plate and its bristles and the gasket may be readily renewed by unscrewing the bolt to cause the separation of the respective parts.

What I claim is:

l. A fountain brush comprising an apertured plate, bristles secured to said plate and extending from the outer surface thereof, a top member having a dome-shaped central portion and an amiular rim disposed in opposition to the marginal portion of said plate, a gasket interposed between said annular rim and the marginal portion of said plate, said gasket provided with a channel to seat said rim, an annular buffer on said gasket and disposed to be engaged with peripheral portions of said plate and rim, and means for urging said plate and top 'membe towards each other. I

2. An article of manufacture embodying an annular body of substantially T-shape in crosssection, the stem of the T serving as a gasket and having a substantially channel-shaped upper surface, and the arms of the T serving as a buffer disposed against the outer surfaces of elements that compress the gasket between them.

3. A brush embodying a bristle-plate, a top member co-acting with said bristle-plate, means for drawing said plate and member towards each other, an annular gasket interposed between said plate and member, an upstanding lip at the inner edge of said gasket, and a transversely disposed buffer on the outer edge of said gasket and engaged with the adjacent edges of the plate and member.

4. A fountain brush comprising a bottom plate provided with depending bristles and having a plurality of fluid passages, a dome-shaped top member having an annular rim co-acting with the margin of said plate, and a compressible T-shaped annular element the stem of which is interposed between said rim and plate and serves as a gasket therefor, said element having an annular seat formed to receive said rim, the crossarm of said element being of substantially the same width and thickness as the body of said element and positioned transverse to and co-acting with the lateral outer edges of said plate and rim, and means for maintaining said plate, said top member and said annular element in assembly.

5. A fountain brush comprising separable members forming a hollow body and having opposing marginal portions, a gasket interposed between said margins and having a channel-shaped surface and a plain surface to receive the respective marginal portions of the separable members, and a buifer formed integral with said gasket and engaged with the outer transverse edges of the margins of said members.

6. A fountain brush embodying upper and lower superposed members, the lower member being perforated and provided with depending bristles; one of said members having its central portion provided with a concave inner surface and having a portion of angular section surrounding said concave surface to oppose the marginal portion of the other member; an annular gasket interposed between the angular portion and marginal portion of said members; means at the inner edge of said gasket engaged with the aforesaid angular portion; and an annular buffer disposed transversely at the outer edge of said gasket for engagement with the edges of said superposed members.

ARTHUR WILLARD BEAURLINE. 

